Just me and you, within the darkness
by DestinyxDarkness
Summary: When your life is thrown away into the pits of darkness, you don't have much choice about who offers you a hand. Depending on the person, it might even be your worst mistake. However, in times where strife and calamity run amok, what can you really do other than hold that hand tighter than anything else? Take hold, follow me, and don't ever look back. (Eddsworld characters)
1. (1) Everybody, all lined up in a row

Name: Nia Mavros  
Age: 22  
Looks: Picture  
Crush: Kootra (Jordan) and ?  
Sexuality: Straight  
Friends: Edd, Matt and Tom  
Enemies: Forces of darkness  
Family: Akame and Kurome (Younger sisters)  
Weapon: Magic strike (Becomes like a dagger attached to her hand)  
Fave colour: Black  
Fave food: Dark chocolate  
Hobbies: Training her magic abilities, mocking people and kicking people's arses

* * *

Name: Tom  
Age: 24  
Looks: Spiky brown hair, blue hoody and has no eyes  
Crush: Nia? (He isn't quite sure yet)  
Sexuality: Straight  
Friends: Nia and Edd (Sometimes Matt is alright)  
Enemies: Tord, diet Smirnoff and Christmas  
Family: Mother (Father got killed by a bear with a gun)  
Weapon: Wisdom triforce (Makes him incredibly smart, fast and can use magic arrows)  
Fave colour: Dark blue  
Fave food/drink: Smirnoff  
Hobbies: Hanging with friends, drinking and making up new swear words

* * *

Name: Edd  
Age: 24  
Looks: Short brown hair, green hoodie and blue pants  
Crush: ? (Revealed later on)  
Sexuality: Straight  
Friends: Nia, Tom and Matt  
Enemies: Diet coke, Zanta and Zombies  
Family: Unknown  
Weapon: Courage triforce (Makes him unafraid of anything, really resistant to mind manipulation and can use a magic shield)  
Fave colour: Green  
Fave food/drink: Cola  
Hobbies: Hanging with friends, drinking cola and making puns

* * *

Name: Matt  
Age: 25  
Looks: Strawberry blonde hair, a black shirt, purple hoodie and green overcoat  
Crush: ? (Revealed later)  
Sexuality: ?  
Friends: Nia, Tom and Edd  
Enemies: Anyone who dissed his looks and those who threaten his friends  
Family: Mother  
Weapon: Power triforce (Makes him incredible strong(Is able to lift a small building with little effort), really resistant to physical attacks and uses magic boots)  
Fave colour: Purple  
Fave food: Anything  
Hobbies: Hanging with friends, looking at himself in the mirror and singing


	2. (2) Xenophobia

Third person P.O.V.:

"Son of a bitch"  
The wind howled, causing a boy nearby to cuss. His task was to guard a door, which lead into one of the four towers in a castle called Pierceton Palace.  
The castle wasn't very well lit nor very well heated causing the young guard to shiver on the spot, clutching onto the spear which he held.  
He was a friend of the young prince in Pierceton palace, joining the numerous amount of bodyguards and soldiers assigned to him.  
Despite how most Prince's had two or three guards, the prince in Pierceton had nine bodyguards. That meant that about seven of them had to stand watch during the night.  
The guard grumbled, but couldn't do much else to alleviate his annoyances.  
He wanted to sleep, but the constant gust of icy cold wind would shock him awake.  
The door he was guarding opened with a creak, causing the guard to peer over his shoulder to see the person who had opened it.  
"You look like shit" Commented a raven haired guard, slightly laughing at his coworkers misery.  
"Shut up Kevin" responded the guard holding the spear. "Swap with me already"  
"Heck no" Kevin said, closing the door. "You don't know how to fire a ranged weapon to save your life"  
Kevin was another of the prince's guards, often assigned to the top of the tower for his prowess with a crossbow.  
He was speaking the truth about the spear wielding guard. He knew how they worked, but every time he got his hands on one it ended badly.  
Thus, he was never allowed to swap with any of the guard positions that required a ranged weapon to protect it.  
This included the two positions on top of the tower, the turret and the nearby keep. Which left him to pick to protect one of the two doors leading to the tower and the stairs.  
He hated both positions, due to the wind and cold of the doors, while the stairs had to be patrolled up and down every ten minutes.  
"Is Jordan sleeping?" asked the spear guard.  
"You're supposed to refer to him as PRINCE Jordan" responded Kevin, rolling his eyes at his coworker. "You've gotten into trouble for this before James"  
"Shut up and answer my question" gruffly responded James. "Is he sleeping?"  
Kevin gave him what seemed to be a annoyed and tired look. After seeing that James was not going to back down on the subject, he simply decided to answer the question posed to him.  
"He wasn't sleeping when I went down the stairs" Kevin said, rubbing has cold hands together for warmth. "Dex and Danz were trying to get him to go to sleep"  
"Why wasn't he asleep?"  
"He said he couldn't sleep"  
"Do you know why?"  
"His first potential bride is coming tomorrow"  
Prince Jordan had adamantly insisted to his father, King Hector, that he didn't need a arranged marriage and that he would find his own bride.  
King Hector said he would only comply if he found a bride before Prince Jordan's 25th birthday. His 25th birthday had passed two weeks prior, with the Prince unwilling to marry any of the women who had presented themselves to him.  
Now he fretted about meeting the prospective brides, not wanting to marry someone who would reveal themselves to be awful once he got married.  
The Prince was well known for having a bad sense of character, and all his bodyguards worried for his potential future.  
The door opened once more, both guards turning their heads to look a the new person.  
"Kevin, James" a gruff voice spoke out. "We really need you to come now, Jordan's going insane"  
"PRINCE Jordan" Kevin corrected.  
"Whatever, just hurry up"  
All three guards filed through the door, and began the trek up the flight of stairs. The guard that had collected both of them was slow enough in his trek up, that the other two said something about it.  
"Spoon, what's taking you so long?" James said, annoyed with the slower man in front of him.  
"I was assigned to the stairs you jackass" Spoon wheezed. "I'm so fricking tired"  
Eventually they reached the chamber that the prince resided in, seeing every one of his bodyguards looking nervously at the pacing prince.  
"What's going on?" asked Kevin, confused with the current events.  
"Jordan's going insane"  
Kevin was going to correct the person who had responded, but was cut off with a jab to the ribs by James.  
"What do you mean he's going insane?" asked James, trying to peer over the shoulders of his coworkers.  
The answer came quite quickly to them when the prince kicked a nearby vase, it breaking against the floor with a smash.  
He angrily paced in front of the others, fuming to himself.  
"Dude, what's wrong?"  
"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?! MAYBE THE FACT THAT MY FATHER IS TRYING TO ELIMINATE ME TO THE THRONE HERE!" Jordan yelled at the lot of them. "THE WOMEN COMING HERE ARE TAKING ME BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES, NOT THEM COMING TO LIVE HERE!"  
A man being taken back to their house was seen as a way to make potential offspring for the future of their family, but would never be seen as a potential king nor would he ever be eligible for the throne he originated from. It was seen as a insult to most men, but it was normal for women to do the same.  
He continued to pace the room, trying to sort out what it was that he was supposed to do.  
Appeal to his father? No, he wouldn't have hidden it if it was optional. Run away? The chances of that happening were next to nothing. Marry a woman of his choosing? It would cause fall out between the members of the royal family, not to mention the prince had no woman who he would trust with that task.  
"Why, why did this have to happen?! I thought that father would have trusted me!" Jordan fumed, looking like he wanted to smash another vase. "I'm his only child for pete's sake!"  
Most of his bodyguards looked on in surprise, both from the outburst from their prince as well as the fact that their king had essentially doomed his own son.  
After a good couple of minutes of kicking things and throwing items around, the prince looked over to his soldiers.  
"Wait, if you all are here" Jordan said, fixing his ragged hair. "Then who's guarding the entrance?"  
As though it was timed so, a arrow flew by the prince's ear, from the open window that stood wide open behind him.  
"SIR!"

Elsewhere in the castle, a cloaked person walked along the cold corridors. Their boots caused a gentle thumping noise every time they took a step.  
"This is a mistake"  
The voice seemed to come from nowhere, floating around the cloaked person. It didn't seem to come from a physical manifestation.  
"This part of the world is well known for magical artifacts and spells" the cloaked person responded, a feminine voice coming from their lips. "It's the best place to figure out more about that organization"  
"Yeah, but didn't you say this part of the world was going to get involved in a war?" another voice sounded from nowhere, different to the first one.  
"What can I say? I like to get involved with things that don't concern me" the cloaked person responded, waving her hand nonchalantly.  
"Nah, it's more to do with the fact that our Nia is in love with the Prince here" another voice chuckled, causing the hooded figure to be annoyed.  
"What have I told you about making assumptions?"  
"I'm not wrong though"  
She ignored his final comment, taking more steps towards the chambers were the young Prince resided.  
She looked up the length of the tower, marveling in its height and construction.  
"Now if only the people of this nation could not kill each other for stupid reasons, they might actually be considered smart"  
"Hush Tom"  
The voice obliged, ceasing his comments about the people that happened to have made the castle.  
"Alright, so how do we do this? Just waltz in and hope they don't shoot at us?"  
A scream sounded out, cutting off the response to the question. It appeared to the four that a attack had begun while they were in the castle.  
"Well that's just perfect"  
"Indeed" the cloaked person agreed, a black mist starting to appear from her finger tips. "Time to play boys"  
She seemed to focus on her hands, moving them in a strange fashion. The black mist grew in size and volume, becoming black miasma which she started to mold into three shapes.  
The first transformed into a boy wearing a blue hoodie, spiky hair and pitch blacks holes in place of his eyes.  
"Tom, go and save the prince"  
"Why me?!"  
"Cause you're the fastest"  
He grumbled, but acknowledged the other side of the argument. He dashed off to the door, opening the door and disappearing from view.  
The second form got made into a boy who wore a green hoodie, brown hair and calm eyes.  
"Edd, I need you to go and handle any possible people trying to enter through the other door"  
"You got it boss"  
Edd's hand glowed for a couple of seconds, a magic shield forming itself on his right wrist. He used it to launch himself a couple of feet in the air, heading towards the other door like he was instructed to.  
The third made itself into the shape of a boy with bright orange hair, a purple hoodie and green overcoat.  
"Matt, handle anyone in the distance" she spoke, looking at him with a stern look. "And make sure that they are actually enemies this time"  
"Righty ho!"  
He flung one of his legs into the air, a boot forming itself on the foot. He repeated the process with the other leg, and seemed satisfied with the process.  
He swung down one of his legs onto the floor, using the resounding crash and momentum to launch himself onto the roof and begin his task.  
"Alright then, I guess that leaves me with this door" the girl chuckled to himself. "Only a fool would try to get past me"  
As though the assassins took it as a challenge, a group of people wielding large swords started to charge down the corridor in which she stood.  
She chuckled, the black miasma swirling in violent vortexes around her hands and wrists.  
"Now, which of you wants to be torn apart first?"

While the fighting began for the four strangers, the Prince and his bodyguards were busy trying to stop attackers from coming in through the open window.  
"Let go of my arm goddammit!" a boy yelled, stabbing a person who clung to his arm to try and get inside.  
Eventually he let go of the arm, allowing the others to drag him back inside and close the window with a thud.  
"Why the hell do those guys look like the King's troops?" asked Kevin, who was busy reloading a bolt onto his crossbow.  
"Use your brain you idiot!" James scolded him, who was standing at the base of the other flight of stairs. "The King is trying to kill his son!"  
"Maybe it's strangers who are just dressed up in the troops clothing?" A young boy called Seamus yelled out, hoping to reassure his fellow guards.  
"Like hell it is!" yelled back Spoon, who was busy treating his injured shoulder.  
A banging sound started at the top of the tower, the attackers managing to have gotten on top of the tower.  
The entire unit of guards then conglomerated towards their Prince, forming a ring of people around him.  
"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" asked a young guard by the name of Ze, nervously clutching his dagger close to his chest.  
"Fight like hell! There's no way we're gonna die by such a pitiful attack!" Jordan rang out, trying to bring out the moral of his troops. "Aleks! Hand me my sword! I'll fight as well!"  
Before any of the others could protest or grab his sword, a blur of blue shot past the lot of them. The person didn't stay long, beginning to climb the stairs up to the top door.  
They simply stayed close to each other, not sure what they were supposed to do in the current situation.  
Was the door open below them? If not, how did the stranger get in?  
Why didn't he attack them? It was a mystery to all of them.  
The banging ceased above them, as well as the constant thudding from arrows hitting brick on stone.  
It felt almost like they had died and could no longer hear anything.  
Eventually they heard footsteps, two sets coming down the top and two coming up the stairs.  
The top two came down, one seemingly busy trying to get dust off his pants while the other was drinking something out of a canteen.  
"Tom, have you seen my mirror?"  
"Shut the hell up Matt"  
The one that was drinking had pitch black sockets in place for eyes, frightening the group of men.  
"What the hell happened to your eyes?!"  
"Oh for pete's sake, does that have to always be people's reaction?!" Tom snarled at the lot of them, angrily taking another swig from his canteen. "Besides, you lot should be happy that we saved your lives"  
"Calm down Tom"  
The feminine voice drew the two boys attention, them looking over to a cloaked figure climbing the last set of stairs into the chamber.  
"But they-  
She looked over to Tom, but didn't say anything to quell his voice. He grumbled, but obeyed her.  
The other boy who stood beside her grinned enthusiastically, looking at the lot of guards.  
"Well, at least they seem to get along with each other enough to work together" he commented, motioning over to the frightened people.  
"Who are you people?" asked Jordan, being the first pluck his courage and step forward to speak to the strangers.  
The cloaked figure turned her attention to Jordan, pulling back her cloak to reveal pitch black hair with snow white skin.  
"Why, we're your saviours" She said while chuckling to herself. "Pleasure to meet you, little Prince"


	3. (3) Soteriophobia

Third person P.O.V.:

The sun was just rising on the horizon, causing a golden colour to wash out over the land. All was still in the castle of Peirceton castle, the guards and the young prince getting their well deserved rest after the attack the previous night.  
In the castle across from that one, was a similar kingdom that housed a slightly different kind of people.

All was still in the courtyard of Sequis castle, besides the tapping and swinging of a spear against a old and forgotten training dummy.  
A boy was swinging around a spear, practicing the same way he had for years now.  
The boy was well trained in the art of spears, swinging and disarming the weapons placed in the dummy's old and torn hands. The agility and grace which he moved with was uncommon in the kingdom, many people considering fighting and weapons to be taboo and a thing that should have been long forgotten.  
The boy stopped after disarming the dummy for what seemed to be the hundredth time, running a rough and rugged hand through his sweaty bright green hair.  
Many members of the court and his fellow guards often made fun of the strange colour of his hair, but he paid no heed to them. He had his own reason for it being the colour it was, and no comments or sneers in the shadows would make him change back.  
He took in a deep breath and on the exhale focused on relaxing his tired and sore muscles. Who knows the day when the strange neighboring kingdom would attack them, and it would not do for him to have muscle pain when that happened.  
He placed the spear against the wall, stretching his muscles as he moved, enjoying the peace and quiet he would have before the day would begin. Only hours later would the castle be bustling with people, chatter and noise overtaking the gentle sounds of birds and wind.  
Perhaps today was going to be the day that the young prince that he had taken care of for years would finally take his position as future king seriously. He was getting more complacent in the recent couple of years, being less concerned with finding a future bride and his studies.  
He sighed, but knew that bringing it up would be futile. His teachers had been trying for months and it would make no difference for the boy to do so as well.  
"Hey Jackaboy! Hope you haven't tired yourself too much to go a round with me still!"  
Speak of the devil, the boy thought. He turned around to face the young prince, his shiny and full hair being the first to take his attention.  
The prince had also dyed his hair a unnatural colour, it being a bright red colour to match the dark red roses that would dot around the kingdom of theirs. It made him seem immature to some, irresistible to others.  
The prince swung around a sword confidently, trying to coax the boy into a fight.  
"Mark, sir" the young boy greeted with a calm demeanor. " 'ave ya received permission to come and 'ave a match against me?"  
"Bah, who needs permission to come and have a round with their fave buddy!" Prince Mark laughed, his blase attitude being very obvious. "And what's with the sir? You know you can call me Mark when we are alone Jack"  
Jack sighed at both points of Mark's comments, it being obvious that the prince was still not in the mood for formality or proper court attitude.  
"Very well, if ya insist to act this way" Jack said seriously at first, but allowing his inner child to appear a moment later. "Then ya should have no problem with the fact that I'll kick yer ass!"  
"Hell yeah! Now that's the Jack I know and love!"  
The comment stung much more than it should have, making Jack pause as he tried not to let his hurt show.  
Throwing around such comments such as love without a moments notice wounded the guard, who had been infatuated from the moment he saw the prince. He knew already it wasn't to be, the kingdom not being one for same sex relationships nor for a person such as a guard to fall in love with THE prince.  
The young guard had kept his distance, and had no problem until the prince decided to throw formality out the window. Formality was the only thing keeping the young guard in check, and his walls were crumbling day by day.  
Jack was expected to act like a true honorable member of the court, due to his father being the captain of the guard. Just like Mark, Jack knew somewhat of how expectations annoyed the both of them.  
And so, he once more shoved aside his feelings and chose to use his spear and sparring as his way of releasing his annoyances.  
"Ready?"  
"Hell yeah I am! Let's go!"  
"HOLD IT!"  
Both boys let out a annoyed groan, turning to face the source of the disturbance to their match. It was one of Mark's tutors, who was busy huffing and puffing from having to run after the young prince.  
"Sir, we-oh god my lungs- we didn't finish our lesson earlier!" said Mark's court tutor, who was responsible for making sure that Mark knew everything there was to being a King. Jack didn't envy his task, knowing how difficult it was to keep the Prince's attention.  
Mark responded with a nonsensical shrug of his shoulders and pulling a weird face, which Jack laughed at due it's silliness. Mark grinned when he saw that he had made the guard laugh, missing the chipper sound in the recent times. It had been so long since he had laughed, and the prince could sense how much further the two of them were getting the older he got.  
After all, some stupid person decided that a guard wasn't worthy of the royal families time. Naturally, the young prince ignored most of these, enjoying every moment he could spend with the boy.  
"I told you he would be here, didn't I?" said Mark's other tutor walking along at a leisurely pace, this tutor being the prince's magic tutor. Many people made fun of him for simply trying to teach magic, plus the fact that he had quite a girth. "You didn't need to run Wade"  
Wade, who was the other tutor, grumbled in annoyance as he was bent over double. He wasn't used to running, having not done much exercise in years.  
"Why did you walk? What if he had gone somewhere else by the time we had shown up?" Wade asked, still being out of breath.  
"Then he would have been somewhere else" the magic tutor responded, completely relaxed and knowing that rushing would do nothing to hurry the prince. "Hey Jack"  
" 'ey Bob" Jack responded, giving the man a quick wave, which was responded in kind.  
" .GOD! No wonder Mark has been slipping in formality with you two as a example! You two should greet each other as sir!"  
"Pssh, you know nobody cares dude" Mark laughed, taking it all as a joke.  
Wade looked like he was planning to retort against the remark, but sighed instead after realizing it would be useless. The king had similar tendencies, so the tutor wondered why on earth he had assigned a formality tutor to his son.  
Maybe it was to correct it in his son, where he had failed.  
"As you wish" Wade answered, glancing around to all that were present. "However, don't come crying to me when you have become King and you still continue using words such as "dude" "  
"Dude"  
"Bro"  
"Thingy"  
"Can you guys at least stop doing it around me? You know I hate those words"  
The three laughed and before long the stubborn tutor joined in with their bout of silliness. The four of them had known each other for a long time, growing up in the castle and playing with each other when they had gotten bored. That they were all still together after so many years was a miracle of itself.  
"So, 'ow's the hunt for a wife go? Still no luck?" Asked Jack, knowing that the prince hadn't decided despite seeing over twenty prospective wives.  
"Yeah, I mean, they seem nice" Mark answered, avoiding the three men's eyes. No matter who had asked him, it ended up being the same. An answer that didn't really explain anything nor was dismissive. "I just don't know which one can handle my weirdness"  
The two tutors sighed, knowing how silly some of the reasons were in the past for not answering the question properly. Jack dropped the subject, knowing how it would start a argument between the lot of them.  
In truth, Mark truly did think they were nice. He simply didn't love them. But of course, he had to take a wife someday, so he simply made noncommittal response to them all.

"Well well, what do we have here? A prince who has no bodyguards eh? Interesting"  
The small group of boys jumped at the unfamiliar voice, the guard and prince grabbing their forgotten weapons off the ground and looking around for the noise.  
"Wade, Bob, go get 'elp" Jack ordered, standing back to back with the prince.  
"No, I don't think so" said someone else, the voice being a boy's one.  
A black curtain seemed to materialize out of nowhere, blocking the way to the main part of the castle. When Wade tried to touch it experimentally, he yelped and retracted his hand as though it had been burnt or shocked.  
"Easy tiger, you really don't wanna touch that" A new voice sounded out.  
The lot of them looked upwards, where the sound seemed to emanate. Sitting on the ledge of the castle walls, sat someone in a pitch black hood and dress. The only bits visible to them were snow white legs that dangled to and fro with black ballet slippers on the feet.  
"Hello Prince" the stranger greeted, waving a white hand at him. "How are you this fine morning?"  
"I was doing okay, until you showed up" Mark responded honestly while still clutching his sword, causing the stranger to chuckle at the response. "Who are you? WHAT are you?"  
"You can call me Nia" Nia said, her voice still as chipper as when she had first spoke. "And for what I am, that is a bit of a confusing subject; I suppose you can call me a witch"  
"A witch?!" Bob said, nearly choking on his own spit in surprise. "Oh god, what the hell do you want with us?"  
"Nothing my dear" Nia responded, chuckling as though he had made a joke. "I simply wanted to strike a deal"  
"What kind of deal?" asked Jack, still unsure about the whole thing.  
Beyond her cloak, she smiled a sinister and malevolent smile. Whether they could see it or not, they made no difference in their stance or their thoughts about her.  
"The kind that can only be fixed with darkness"


	4. (4) Hylophobia

Third person P.O.V.:

"How quaint, the illusion of the forest" A calm yet sarcastic voice spoke, looking around them at the bright green colour of the fauna. "It gives the impression of a calm and tranquil world, when in reality it is filled with the same barbaric morals as everywhere else"  
"You think so? I think it's pretty"  
"As usual Matt, your train of thought stalls at the station"  
"Guys, lets not start this"  
She grinned at the three voices, remembering each note and way they pronounced everything. Most people would have gotten annoyed at their bickering, and yet she had not in the many years that they flowed and existed around her. Just how long had it been, she wondered, since she had taken in these hapless individuals?  
She left them to their strange way of being friends, looking around the grand forest that they waited in. The verdant green trees, the gentle shine of the sun through the gaps in the trees, the wind that would rustle the leaves, even the sounds from the nearby stream and animals seemed constant everywhere you went. Despite this, she felt little comfort in these woods. In fact, it made her restless, among many other emotions.  
Would either group show up? She was not concerned about what might happen if they decided to send their armies after her, a "witch". After all, she could decimate the armies themselves if she did not have the time to run away.  
No, she was more concerned with what might not happen at all. She had been let down time and time again over what might have been the final step in her search. That final step to those people who had that item.  
That cursed item that could kill her with a single swipe of it's horrifying reach. It wasn't the only item that she knew of, but it certainly was the one that belonged to a man who promised that he would kill her some day.  
She felt restless in the idea that someone knew how to find her, and held a item within his grasp to kill her. That's why she needed to find the location of where he stayed, and prepare herself for a fight that might cost her more than breaking out into a minor sweat.  
"Nia, what's the item in this land that we are looking for again?" A voice roused her from his thoughts. Nia raised her head, her black hair moving in sync. Edd was the one who had asked her the question, but she knew without glancing that it was him.  
"The Salfa Alphis" Nia responded, although she felt it was not necessary to mention this to her comrade in arms. In the end, knowing the name made no difference in how they were getting the item.  
A small "Ooh" was uttered by Matt, his face lighting up with curiosity and awe at the mere mention of the name. Tom scoffed in response to the admiration, drinking from the small metal canteen that he always carries with him.  
Tom had always had a sarcastic and pessimistic view to the world. Nia had long gotten used to hearing his annoyed and jaded view of the world.  
Edd had a very placid attitude to life, letting most things wash over him and pass him by without making much of a fuss.  
Matt, in contrast to Tom, had a very optimistic and naive view to the world. Despite it occasionally getting him into trouble, Nia often appreciated his view or comments on a situation.  
"Ah, the first group has arrived" Edd said, looking in the direction of the group he had mentioned.  
The group that Edd had seen was the small quartet of men originating from the castle of Sequis. They had cast aside their robes and cloaks, which Nia was grateful for. She would not go out of her way to protect men that had decided on looks over practicality.  
"Hello, glad you could join us on this fine day" Nia chuckled, waving her hand to the approaching men. Though they seemed nervous in joining her, their eyes had the steeled determination in them that assured Nia that they would no doubt not flee at the first sight of danger.  
"Enough joking around" The young boy she knew to be Jack said, readjusting a bag over his shoulder. He had decide to wear a pitch black outfit, small bits of green adorning it. He tapped a spear impatiently on a nearby tree, looking over his comrades to assure himself that they were ready. "This better be worth it fer our kingdom"  
The young prince had cast aside anything that would remotely hint to his fair-blooded lineage, instead choosing to clad himself from head to toe the way a lumberjack would. An axe over his shoulder, a plaid red shirt and pants with suspenders completed the strange look.  
Both tutors were wearing plain clothing, deciding that extremely changing their clothing would do no good to them. The magic tutor held a staff in his hand, allowing it to assist him in walking. The other tutor had a simply short sword attached to his belt, occasionally moving his hand to it to feel the familiar grip of it's leather against his hand.  
"Nia! The other group has-  
"Arrived? Yes, I could feel them arriving" Nia and Matt whispered between each other, moving their eyes to the substantially larger group.  
The league of ten men seemed surprised to see the smaller group, no doubt because of the fact that Nia had failed to mention it to them. Both parties had their hands on the weapons they grasped, wary of each others movements.  
"You didn't mention there would be other people joining us" The young prince known as Jordan said, tilting his head to indicate the people present.  
"You didn't ask" Tom replied curtly, putting away his now empty canteen.  
Like the group from Sequis castle, the boys from Peirceton castle had dressed themselves in unassuming clothing to disguise both from what kingdom they came from as well as their training. The majority had clad themselves into pants, shirts and cloaks to match each other.  
"So, who might you guys be?" Asked Mark, moving forward and extending a hand out to Jordan. His grin seemed to put people at ease, but the majority were unsure if it was fake.  
Jordan glanced to his hand unsurely, as though it was a bad idea to shake the hand of a random stranger. Despite this mind set, he extended his hand out to shake the fellow Prince's hand.  
"We're a traveling mercenary group" Jordan said, indicating to his group. The majority of his guards nodded their head or grunted as a way of introducing themselves. "We got hired by... Nia here to go and help her with something"  
"Nice! We're scholars, and we asked to come along with Nia to discover more about the world" Mark said, smiling widely at Jordan. "We hope to publish a book someday"  
The both of them nodded their heads at each other, satisfied with both their own story and what they had been told by the other. They didn't seem to find it important to learn each others name, nor why Nia had allowed them to come along/hired them. They certainly weren't going to mention anything about Nia's strange powers, lest the other believed them to be crazy.  
Unbeknownst to both groups, Nia's smile turned from a curious one to a smirk. She found it both funny and ironic that both Prince's were hiding their lineage and that they were from the certain kingdom that the other hated. Perhaps once this was all over, she would tell them both who they had just worked with simply to mess with their heads. Her smile grew wider, Tom looking at her face with a raised eyebrow.  
"Something funny?" Tom whispered, digging his hand into the hoodie that he always wore.  
"The human mind" Nia responded cryptically, chuckling to herself. Despite the fact the answer made no sense to anyone else, Tom shrugged his shoulders and accepted the response as it was.  
In truth, the reason why both groups followed her were interesting to say the least. The large group from Pierceton castle wanted to find the Salfa Alphis to kill the current king of their land. The smaller group of Sequis wanted the same item to ensure that Pierceton or anyone else to think twice about anyone threatening their peaceful lives.  
How funny, Nia thought. If they simply killed the king of Pierceton, they would both get their wish, no?  
Yet, she knew this would not work between them. In the end, once the time came to retrieve the item, she would be forced to choose one of the two groups.  
How many people died on the way, learning the way these men worked and their motivations would be the deciding factor. She reveled in the idea of commanding her small, chaotic version of a army. After all, she knew everything about the item they were looking for. They would have no choice but to follow her.  
And once they had gotten the item, chosen the side they decided was the most worthy and returned the group back home to their kingdoms, would she get her prize. Whether it be the information she so desperately wanted or the eternal promise to help her out, she didn't care.  
She was having so much fun, it would not make a blind bit of difference what happened on this journey. Even should nearly everyone from both groups perish.  
Not to mention, she found the reactions of the men to be so cute. Like a lost puppy that would follow you with a unwavering will.  
"So, what's the plan?" Asked Kevin, who was the man that was so good with a crossbow. In fact, Edd had complained about nearly getting shot by the boy. "Just where is the... thing again?"  
"In Dulluis, about six days march from here" Nia said, clicking her fingers at Matt. Matt procured the item she called for, placing it in her outstretched hand. "If we head out today, we should get through the forest pretty quickly"  
"Shouldn't we take the road at the kingdom of Sequis?" Asked Dex, looking over the map as Nia stretched it out for the group to see. "It'll be faster"  
"That road has had a whole slew of bandit raids recently though" Wade piped in, pointing at certain points on the map. "Especially around here and there"  
Funnily enough, none of the men from Pierceton asked how he knew that. Tom looked over to Nia, and she nodded her head to acknowledge she had seen it. If this was their capabilities of noticing things, the secret would be well kept until they had gotten the item.  
"Well then, let's not waste any time"


	5. (5) Zoophobia

Third person's P.O.V.:  
Mist rolled around the ground of the woods, the gentle dew of the morning causing the moss and grass to have a squishing sound if a creature were to step on it.  
Of course, for that to happen in the first place, you would first need to have creatures in the area. The only creature that went around the woods in this particular morning, was the young guard Kevin.  
Crossbow loaded and strung, he kept it low down to the ground as he stepped silently. Well, what he considered silent.  
He stepped onto a fallen branch, it crinkling with the pressure before letting out a ear splitting crack that echoed around the formerly quiet woods. Kevin let out a quiet curse, but it too sounded eerily loud in the silence of the morning.  
He raised his head from the offending branch, scanning his horizons for any sign of animals running in fright from him. At first he was relieved to see that no such thing was happening, until he realised that the reason was that there was absolutely nothing around for miles to even hear him.  
It was as though the entire forest had suddenly lost all of it's creatures in the night.  
He eased the string that held the bolt on his crossbow out of its fully strung position, knowing that holding the crossbow fully loaded for long periods of time would wreak havoc on the frame and the drawstring. If any animal appaeared before him, surely he could load it at a later time without making too much noise. After all, he had trained himself in loading the weapon without making too much noise, in case he needed to use it against opponents that didn't need to know that he was there.  
He tucked the bolt into the quiver that was placed at his right hip, flicking away his plain brown cape to do so. He had agreed to the method of dressing all the same, to give the impression of a group of mercenaries. Part of him felt guilty for bringing his master and friend, Prince Jordan, into such a dangerous task.  
Prince Jordan had a strange view of the world, not being allowed out of the castle at any point of his 25 years of existence. For his first experience to be searching for some strange artifact in a neighbouring town along with that accursed "witch", was something that Kevin was not happy with.  
His first experience should have already happened, Kevin thought to himself. Going out in the gentle rays of the sun, visiting his people along with his new wife.  
Of course, he would first need a wife to accomplish that goal. Or even a woman who he wished to marry. Heck, just being friends with a woman would help that along tremendously.  
So far, the only woman that seemed to be around him, was that witch. Was was her name again? Nia?  
Yes, that was her name. She had so easily defeated those attackers that threatened Prince Jordan, it was as though she had known before hand about where everyone was and how to defeat them so easily.  
We hadn't even seen how they fought, thought Kevin. If she even remotely threatens my lord, I shall-  
"Oh my, such a ugly face you are making this morning" A familiar sneering and condescending female tone brought him out of his thoughts. "I must say, your face seems too fair for such a snarl upon your face"  
He swung around, pointing the crossbow directly in the person face by his instinct. Of course, if he had really wanted to harm the person, he would have been out of luck. It was still unloaded after all.  
"Now now, is that really the way you decide to greet someone?" Sleek black lips moved and uttered the words, annoying Kevin with every syllable. "Well, I suppose it is simply how you people from Pierceton greet people after all"  
"You really should learn to not sneak up on people" Kevin snarled at the witch, lowering his crossbow reluctantly. "It's going to get you killed someday"  
"Oh my, is that a threat?" Nia asked, chuckling softly to herself as though she found it amusing. "I would recommend loading your crossbow before saying that"  
Kevin grumbled, but decided not to continue trying to swap insults or words with this woman. Lord knows, he found it a waste of time even if he managed to win the argument. He instead busied himself with reloading the crossbow, not at all feeling comfortable in her presence.  
"So, what are you even doing out so early in the morning?" Nia asked, looking around herself. "As much as you deserting your comrades might be funny, I don't need that as well as everything else"  
"I was hunting for food" Kevin said, deciding that reacting to her snide comments would get him nowhere. "But nothing seems to be out this early"  
"Well of course they aren't" Nia said, pointing to him as she continued. "I wouldn't either with the way you are tramping and smashing through these woods"  
"Look, I have seen noisier people than me manage to hunt perfectly fine" Kevin said, looking down the sights of his crossbow. "Hell, people on horse back have managed to do it"  
"I don't doubt it" Nia responded, folding her arms over each other. "But they don't have your aura"  
"My what?"  
"Your aura" Nia told him, and for once her smirk had seemingly disappeared. "You hold a killers aura as you hunt, and all the animals can feel it"  
"That's a whole load of bullshit" Kevin said, frowning deeply at her. "Animals don't give a shit about aura"  
"Oh, but that is where you're wrong" Nia said, her eyes narrowing at the young boy in front of her. "You scare them off the way you are now"  
As though she was a fussy child, Nia folded her arms together and sat down on a spot of dry enough moss near to her. Kevin stopped, looking at her with disbelief in his eyes. Just what did she think she was accomplishing?  
"What are-  
"Sit and relax for a moment" Nia said, patting the moss beside her. It let out a squishing noise, reminding Kevin about how the ground was soaked. "Once you do, I am a hundred percent certain that animals will come out of hiding"  
Kevin wanted to argue with her on that point, but also knew their arguing would no doubt end up in him getting frustrated and her smirking at him all the while.  
All that Kevin knew in this moment, was that going any further would not help him in any way. His friends needed food, and he had time to spare.  
"Ugh, fine" Kevin said, sitting down on the small patch of moss that Nia had patted. It squished under his weight, and he pulled a face when he felt his cloak and pants get soaked. "This better be worth it"  
Nia said nothing further to the boy, simply closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax in the cool breeze.  
Nothing happened, and it irritated Kevin to no end. He was not one to wait for waiting's sake.  
He began to pat a tune out on his legs, a symphony from the music lessons that he would overhear long ago.  
Nia opened a single eye to the boy, considering hushing or stopping the boy's constant movement and noise. He hadn't noticed that she was looking at him, his attention on the musical patting. The patting, despite being very loud in the silence of the woods, seemed to be putting the young guard at ease.  
Rather a loud relaxed soul than a quiet one with murderous intent, Nia thought to herself. She allowed her eye to close once more, allowing herself to relax once more.  
How ironic that she thought that way. After all, she had seen plenty of the silent killers in her life before. Some closer to her than she would like.  
Kevin soon became bored of the symphony on his leg, but it had done the effect that Nia had hoped. He was now fully relaxed, almost looking as though he would drop off to sleep with a mere snap of the fingers.  
The first minutes passed by slowly, but they did pass. And the next couple, followed as easily as the first. Before the both of them realised, half an hour had passed.

* * *

When Kevin gently roused himself from his half asleep state, he found himself staring straight at a brown speckled rabbit. Kevin nearly took a sharp intake of breath, but managed to stop himself before he had made a loud noise.  
He stared at the small furry creature, its big brown eyes staring at him inquisitively. He stared back, mesmerised by how easily it had approached him.  
"See?" Nia softly said, and Kevin nearly got a fright from the sudden voice in his ear.  
After the first rabbit, another came out. A bird started to fly in the branches above him. A deer poked it's head out from behind a tree, and it seemed so curious by all the other animals as well as the two humans in the middle of this small grove of trees.  
Another deer came out from behind a different tree, and this one seemed to be more brave than its other kind. It moved forward to within a couple of feet away from the young guard, sniffing the air around him.  
Kevin moved his hand slowly, bringing it out for the creature to smell. Almost like he would for a feline creature.  
This was the moment that Nia had been waiting for. Would he kill any of the creatures in the forest that had taken the chance and walked up to him? Or would he ignore the desire to kill and let his fellow humans back at camp go hungry?  
Nia knew all too well which one he was planning to do.  
"So, I suppose your Prince will simply have to go hungry, won't he?" Nia probed gently, and the response was everything she was hoping for.  
His eyes widened ever so slightly, his eyes moving over to the still loaded crossbow beside him. The Prince was a subject that Nia knew would get results, Kevin's desire to protect and keep him happy seemingly trumping anything else that happened before Kevin.  
The deer in front of Kevin seemed to sense the sudden change of thinking from the boy, taking a single cautious step backwards. None of the other animals seemed to sense it, more coming out of the woodwork around them.  
Kevin slowly dropped the hand he had held out to the deer, moving the other slowly over to the loaded weapon. If he managed to get the weapon quickly and reloaded it just as quickly, he might even get two to three animals before all of them could disappear.  
I knew it, Nia thought. Anything for his Prince, just like a good dog.  
Kevin got his hands on his weapon and...  
Proceeded to unload it?  
Kevin removed the bolt, allowing the string to relax. He pulled a face when he thought about how long the weapon had been fully strung. He would have to replace the string very soon.  
And with that, he proceeded to ignore the weapon. He looked back over to the brave deer, smiling gently at it. Again, like the deer could read his mind, it could feel no dangerous intent coming from him.  
"Sorry about that" Kevin quietly spoke, and it occurred to Nia that he was speaking to the deer and not her. "Didn't want it to accidentally go off"  
The deer came forward, gently head butting Kevin's head. Kevin let out a small chuckle, the action reminding him of a cat he had owned at one point in his life.  
Nia on the other hand, was looking at him with the blankest face she had ever had. She hadn't been wrong about someone in a long, long time. In fact, she hadn't been wrong in seven years.  
It wasn't so much a stab to her pride, but a glaring danger. If she couldn't read people completely, she could get herself killed. And if she got herself killed, chances were that Tom, Edd and Matt would cease to exist alongside her.  
This was a reminder, that she had to plan for the unexpected. It annoyed her, but she tried her best not to show it on her face.  
Lord only knows that the young guard might see her frown and see it as a way to annoy her. Or assume that he had done the right thing.  
Perhaps he had simply refused to shoot any of the animals because she had said so.  
"Thank you" Kevin said, turning to her with a gentle smile that she had also seen him show to the deer. Hm, she was apparently second in line to a deer. "If you hadn't told me about my aura, I would never have seen this beautiful sight"  
Nia was taken aback. Nobody had thanked her for anything.  
Besides Tom, Matt and Edd of course. Those guys thanked Nia constantly, sometime even for simple mundane things like handing them a piece of food.  
Kevin's smile faltered, seeing the blank face that Nia had. He had never seen her with such a face, only smirking or her face being tight from concentration/thinking.  
In fact, Kevin was beginning to think that she was surprised by something. By what, he didn't have the lightest clue.  
"...You're welcome..." Nia quietly said, and it seemed to be said weirdly. As though she was not used to honestly saying the words to anyone.  
Both Kevin and Nia sat there, unsure how to take the other person words or actions. They gazed at each other for a long time, their smiles and smirks long since replaced by blank stares.  
They wanted to know more about what on earth the other was thinking, the animals around them paying no heed to the change in the humans mood.  
Besides the squishing from the moss, the gentle hoof beats, the thumping from birds wings and rabbit feet, no sound came.  
All was well in the misty forest.


	6. (6) Ornithophobia

Third person's P.O.V.:

The sun was bright and glaring over the land, it's light filtering in through the millions of leaves. It seemed to evoke feelings of tranquility within the large group that traveled underneath the calm flaura and fauna. Many of the group slept and snored underneath some sort of foliage, it providing the well needed shade that helped with their slumber.

The warm weather made the group tired and drowsy, sleep plaguing their mind with every single step they took forward. To prevent themselves from walking into an ambush, both princes had suggested to stop and allow their group to recuperate. A siesta, if you will.

So, all of the group slept soundly.

All? No, perhaps not all. One member of the group was worriedly looking around and counting the sleeping people. She was not happy in the slightest with the fact she was one short.

"Of course he would be the one that would wander off on his own" Nia cursed to herself, seeing a missing person from her group. It was the one she worried over the most, his naivety and optimism often getting him into trouble. "I swear to god, if he followed a squirrel again, I am going to murder him"

Nia's anger became tangible in every syllable that she dared to utter, quite unlike her taunting and mocking tone that she would slip into naturally. She only allowed her anger to show now, in the moments that she was certain that nobody could see or hear her.

Small bursts of black cracks appeared in the ground around Nia's feet, her powers playing havoc with the natural earth beneath her. Her emotions would sometimes fuel her powers, and this was no different.

"Is something wrong?"

Nia inwardly sighed, turning to the voice that had asked her the question. She was upset about many things now, the main one being that she had lost her temper so easily over her familiar.

She couldn't help it, her natural emotions focusing intently on protecting those three boys. She had yet to discover what this emotion was to her, scoffing at the mere idea of it being a maternal instinct. She couldn't afford to have one when someone could easily take them away from her.

Naturally, she would fight someone tooth and nail if they even suggested taking them away from her. Some would call her nature over them possessive even.

However, if she noticed that she was truly in over her head in any way, she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice one for the other two. Heck, she had told herself that she would easily abandon all three if it meant she could survive.

Would she so easily be able to do so when the time came? Time would only tell.

Her eyes landed on Tom, his deep pitch black... eyes? Holes? She wasn't sure which one they were, never really bothering to find out which one it was. Nonetheless, he was staring at her.

Nia was grateful that it was Tom, him being the most blasé about her anger in the past out of the three familiars. Matt always wanted to know what was wrong, poking and prodding her further into anger. Edd had a strange reaction to her anger, retracting into himself and simply avoiding her in general for a while.

And of all the things she was grateful for now, was the fact she had not been seen by either of the prince's groups. She had already gone too far the day before, Kevin seeing her attitude and demeanour break. If they had seen her so easily angered, they might start getting bad ideas.

"Go back to sleep Tom" Nia said, now no longer concerned about being seen. Her anger was beginning to subside with the distraction, the black cracks disappearing below her feet.

"Let me guess, Matt went missing again?" Tom commented, looking around the group. "Want me to go and find him?"

He tensed his leg muscles, almost jumping to his feet until Nia waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. The tensed muscles caused him to be awkwardly placed, his feet planted on the ground but his crotch in the air. His back was still perched on the tree behind him and it made for a strange position.

He eventually relaxed his legs and lowered them back onto the floor after Nia gave him a confused look.

"I don't think he'll understand if you go to get him every time" Nia said, looking off into the distance. Her connection to Matt was strong enough that she could figure out easily where he was, even if she couldn't physically see him. "I will get him, and give him a stern talking to while I'm at it"

"As long as that stern talking to doesn't involve smacking him across he face" Tom said idly, fishing around in his blue hoodie for his canteen. He pulled it out and proceeded to bring it to his lips and try to take a swig from it. Emphasis on try in this case, as it was empty. This caused Tom's mood to sour dramatically. "Actually, you know what? Smacking him across the face doesn't sound that bad"

Nia chose not to respond to the comment, shrugging her shoulders to the thought of physically reprimanding him. She started trekking her way in the direction that she could sense Matt, her black ballet slippers crunching against the fallen foliage.

It's going to become Autumn once more, Nia thought to herself. I wonder how many it has been since I have taken in those three, she pondered.

However, no matter how hard she pondered, no answer came to her. This world was not the kind to give her answers when she needed them. She always had to go and get them herself.

It was becoming so boring, the thought of eternal life.

As she grew lost in her own thoughts, Tom watched her slowly leave his vision.

His... master? Friend? Accomplice? No, none of those seemed to fit. Those words gave some sort of feeling behind them, that they shared some sort of emotion. Did they? Tom couldn't remember if Nia had ever told him the true emotions she hid.

Partner in crime? That too felt wrong to call their relationship, Tom felt. That implied that they shared a secret, or perhaps worked together. That they relied on each other in some sort of despair, some crime.

What would their crime be? This, unlike all the other questions, he knew the answer to.

Their crime was the fact that they still existed. Tom, Matt and Edd were not supposed to exist anymore. Their tale had been told already, the curtains closed.

Eddsworld. That was where they had been made, where they thrived.

But for some reason or another, they were no longer needed. Tom didn't know why, but they were no longer supposed to exist.

That was, until Nia had held out her hand to them.

She, just like them, was not supposed to exist anymore. But she had shunned that, allowed darkness and the evil side of their world to be her fuel, her fire. And she had lit the way, to their small little bit of resistance to the world.

Their fire, her fire, his fire. They shared it all.

* * *

Nia couldn't remember how long she had been walking when she finally found him. She could recognise that bright hair anywhere, seeing it so many times in the past.

He was couched down at the edge of a cliff, looking down at something below him. His face was nestled between his knees, smushing his face together slightly on both sides. It gave her the impression that he had been here for a while.

As long as he doesn't do something stupid like jumping off the cliff like that one time, Nia thought to herself. I mean, who on earth wants to find out what falling off a cliff feels like?, Nia thought.

"Matt"

"Hi Nia"

The casual way in which he responded to her tone made her annoyed, his indifference to the danger he had placed himself in. That strawberry blonde moron could make her blood boil.

In fact, his tone seemed distracted in some way. Like he was paying attention to something else rather than her.

"What are you doing?" Nia asked him, trying to look over his shoulder. All she could see was the cliff, with a couple of loose outcrops of rocks. Nothing particularly interesting enough to catch Matt's attention.

Matt didn't leave her in the lurch too long, pointing out to something closer than she had expected. A cluster of boulders protected a single blue butterfly from a horde of hungry blackbirds, which all hovered and patiently waited for it to come out.

"You followed a butterfly?" Nia asked, sighing heavily. She should have known that it was something simple like that. "You should have known that something would try to eat it before the colder months come along"

"Isn't it kind of cruel?" Matt said, his eyes reflecting his somber attitude. "That they live for such a long time in their lifetimes only to get eaten by something like that"

"That depends on your perspective" Nia said, sitting beside him. Her legs dangled off the cliff and she couldn't resist the urge to swing them back and forth. She felt almost like a mother that had to explain things to a young naive child. In a way, he did have the naivety to match that. "For the butterfly, it is cruel, but it would be cruel to let the families of the blackbirds to go hungry, wouldn't it?"

"I guess it would be if I was the blackbird" Matt said, looking down at the scene below them both. One of the birds tried to peck through a hole to get the butterfly, to no avail. "But I don't think I am like the blackbird"

"You think you are like the butterfly?"

"Yes" Matt said, directing his blank and serious face over to her. Nia was somewhat surprised with the seriousness that he was showing in this moment. "The world and many people try to devour me"

So he does know how vulnerable he is once he is out on his own, Nia thought. She ended up unconsciously moving a hand out to grasp his shoulder. Matt's eye immediately looked over to her hand, but he seemed more confused than annoyed with the contact. Matt wasn't used to this sort of affection from Nia after all.

"Why did you leave the group if you feel that way?" Nia asked, her demeanour and attitude completely different from her usual one.

"I guess I thought I found a kindred spirit" Matt said, his attention once again directed on the butterfly. "And I wanted to help prevent them from getting devoured"

"Did you make the rock outcropping?" Nia asked him, but the shaking of his head told her otherwise. "Then why are you here?"

"I knew you would come and find me"

Nia was momentarily taken aback by the simply statement, taking her hand away from his shoulder. Matt didn't look away from the outcropping, as though he had said something completely mundane to her.

"You stayed here on a hunch that I would come to find you?"

"Yeah"

"What if Tom was the one to come here?"

"He wasn't going to, you would insist that you had to go"

"And how did you figure this out?"

Matt slowly turned his head to her, his face still blank as it had been for the minutes they had talked.

"Instinct" Matt said softly. "After all, you protect me"


End file.
